Device for raising sunken vessels



w. c. BECKWITH. DEVICE FOR RAISING SUNKEN VESSELS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 27, 1919.

Patented Feb'. 24,1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

W. C. BECKWITH. DEVICE FOR RAISING SUNKEN VESSELS. APPLICATION FILED III/III. 27. I9I9.

1,331,610. i mente@ Feb. 24,1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WJIMCIWL W. C. BECKWITH.

DEVICE FOR RAISING SUNKEN VESSLS. APPLICATION FILED MAII. 27. I9I9.

1 33 1 6 1 0. Patented Feb. 24, 1920.

3 SHEETS*SHEET 3.

NX 15H/wh H CP u UNITED srATEs ArENT OFFICE.

, WALTER C. BECKWITH,.OF FOSTORIA, OHIO.

DEVICE FOR lEtAISIIITGrA SUNiKEN VESSELS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 24, l1920.

Application med Mai-Ch 27,' 1919. serial ivo. 2851.515.

,certain new and useful Improvements in Delvices for Raising Sunken Vessels, of which the following is a specification. i

My invention relates to method and apparatus for raising sunken vessels and has for its'object to provide a simple and effective means for equalizing and Arelieving the strain on lifting and hauling cables and also to do away with the necessity of employing power or lifting engines.

GrreatV difficulty has been experienced in raising sunken vessels due to the fact that the liftingcables employed were incapable of withstanding the strain placed upon them, it frequently happening that where one Acable 'was subjected to a greater strain than the others, it would snap, thus throwing an added weight upon the otherswith the result that they wouldA all give away. This is obviated by my invention. .3;

Other and further objects will be in part described and in part obvious as the speciiication is proceeded with.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing my invention in operation;

Fig. 2 is a plan view;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a ship partly broken away to show the grooved plate or guide over which the strain equalizing cable runs;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4 4: Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the grooved plate or guide;

Fig. 6 is a detail view of the connection between the strain equalizing cables, and the lifting cables, and

Fig. 7 is a detail view of the sheave lock.

Referring more particularly tothe drawings in which like reference numerals refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views, 1 and 2 denote a pair of floating bodies, preferably ships of conventional construction, anchored above a sunken vessel 3, by suitable moorings 4. In actual practice the ships 1 and 2 are preferably placed side by side, slightly spaced apart, the space between the ships being preferably directly over the sunken vessel to be raised. While only two ships are shown any number could be employed, placed side by side in rows. Attached to one side (the offl side) of each of the ships 1 and 2 is what may be termed an endless lstrain equalizing cable A5. These cables run over sheaves or pulleys 6,

mounted upon the decks of the ships, down through openings l7, and around the grooved or channeled plate or guide members 8.

lThese plates 8 which are preferably U- fbest illustrated in Fig. 2.

shaped in outline and in cross section, are suitably anchored to the uprights or beams 9 forming part of the framework of the ships sides. reinforces that portion of the ships deck between and slightly beyond the openings 7 therein. i

YEach strain equalizing cable 5 carries a plurality of blocks and tackles 11, including lifting' cables 12 and 13, the cables 5 passing through sheaves or pulleys 14, as The cables 13 are secured at oneend to the eyes 15, then pass rover the sheaves or pulleys 16, 17 and 18, lthen across the deck of the ship 1 or 2 as the case may be. The cables 12, which are secured to the eyes 19 pass across the deck and thence downwardly over the sheaves or pulleys 20.

In practice the ships 1 and 2, or other oating bodies are brought into proximity one t0 the other and preferably side by side, as illustrated in Figs. 1` and 2. The free ends of the cables 13 are then passed across the space between the ships and secured to the far or off sidel of the opposing ship in any suitable manner as at 21. The free ends of the cables 12 are then made fast in any approved manner preferably to opposite sides of the sunken vessel to be raised.

If the ships 1 and 2 are now forced apart by means of the moorings 4, or should they be tilted or rocked on their keels in opposite directions by the shifting of ballast, the cables 12 and necessarily the sunken vessel 3 will be raised a distance corresponding to the movement of the ships. This operation can be repeated an indefinite number of times without again lowering the sunken vessel, merely by locking the cables 12 and 13 t0 the sheaves 20 and 17 respectively, by means of the look 22, and adjusting the fastening means at 19 and 21 to take up the slack in the free end of cables 12 and 13 A stiffening plate or brace 10.

which results, when the ships as suinev their original or normal position. It Will be noted that any abnormal strain placed on one or more oithe.lifting:cables l2 and 13 due to an uneven separation of the ships l and 2, or to other causes'such as the rocking and tossing of the ships7 the strain equalizing cable Will give at the points Where excessive, strain is applieduntil all the lifting cables are taut and under* fulll load.

Theuse of the U.-shaped plate or guide ineinbersy S for attaching the endless cables `5 permits of an even, distribution of strain over a considerable portion of theshp, thus reducingto a minimum the danger of p0rtions of; the ships trame giving away under the enorinousstrains to which they are subiected- It will of course be understood that the cables: 5, Will 'be relatively larger than the lifting cables andthat the Size 0i the latter may vjary accordingV to the predetermined load, which they will be called upon to earry. f l

v y.Having thus described my invention, what I. Claiinvvis.: 7

' l. An apparatus 'for raising sunken` .vesfV sels, comprising a., pair of spaced buoyant bodies, channeled .plates secured to` said .buoyant bodies, endless cables running over saidlchanneled plates, aplurality "of blocks l i and tackles slidably connected to said endless. cables, eachbloek andl tackle comprising a pair of lifting cables,one Cable of each Y pair adapted to be connected at'its-,free end .'o'thl', cableof each pair being adapted to be v,connected` to` the sunken Vessel' to be raised whereby the separation of said' buoyant bodies exert a stra-in 'on said vllitlng Cables and causes the sunken,vessel to be raised.

3J: A11` apparatus for raising; sunken vessels comprising two or more buoyant bodies,

al plurality of taekle blocks for each of said buoyant bodies, endless shifting flexible means for connecting VsaidV taeklebloeks to said buoyant-- bodies, andv pairs of,` lifting cables connected tosaid blocks, one ojf, each Vessel, andthe 'other Gable of" eaeh, pair adapted Yto be-eonneeted to; theopposing buoyantbody. v v Y li test' inonyy 'whereof IV atti); my signature in presenee Qfltwouitnessea f WALTER GyBEGKWirH.

l/Vitnesses: l

VA.YQNLLEIa' i A A N.. Stura.

i pair adapted to be: connected'jto the-,Sunken l 

